


The Art of Presumption

by likehandlingroses



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Flirting, M/M, Post-War, with bad jokes because it's Percy and Lee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 05:31:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20465822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likehandlingroses/pseuds/likehandlingroses
Summary: Percy's never had any trouble conversing with Lee. However, Percy's growing crush on his brother's best friend threatens to upend their easy conversation.





	The Art of Presumption

“Alright, Percy?”

Lee’s greeted Percy the same way for ten years. Percy still remembers how shocked he’d been when Lee had first addressed him in such a familiar manner, back when Lee was just one of Fred and George’s troublemaking companions. He shouted it as Percy passed in the Great Hall one morning at breakfast, a wide smile on his face.

The twins and Percy had run in such different circles at Hogwarts that Percy assumed Lee was making fun of him.

He hadn’t been, which at the time had surprised Percy, though he thinks he understands now. For all their faults, Fred and George would never have suggested or sanctioned such an action; it would have been an egregious breach of an unspoken agreement amongst siblings. And Lee--from what Percy can tell--would never have wanted to in any case. He’s always been friendly to Percy, and though their conversations in school were often brief, they’d always been easy and cordial.

Lee is one of the few people who remains easy to talk to after the war. He’s a proper friend of the whole family, now, always over at the Burrow for dinner. Though he comes as George’s guest, he always brings along something to say to each of them. Even Percy.

Percy’s developed a habit of doing the same, keeping a mental list of things Lee might find interesting. Most of the time, he’s right, and when he isn’t, Lee doesn’t flinch at gracefully changing the subject.

They are—Percy hopes—starting to be friends in their own right.

Then, three months ago, Percy went and decided to fancy Lee, and now he’s nervous all over again every time they speak.

“Lee,” he says, holding out a hand as he sits next to Lee at the long table in the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes backroom. “It’s good to see you; I hope you’re well?”

“Oh, I'm always happy to when I get to spend the day with a Weasley or two,” Lee says, and there’s that smile that’s been driving Percy mad. He pulls two bottles of butterbeer out from under his cloak. “You want one?”

“It’s been devilishly hot,” Percy says by way of excuse before taking the bottle. “Thank you.”

Lee nods, popping the cap off his bottle by tapping it with his wand. He gestures his wand at Percy’s bottle, who pushes it within Lee’s reach.

“Thank you,” Percy says as the cap pops off, floating down next to Lee’s on the countertop, both of them looking good as new, not a bend on them. A clever bit of charmwork...

Lee eyes the two massive building manuals Percy has hauled along to their meeting with George, who is--predictably--late.

“Oh, is that all you brought?” he says with a laugh. Percy smiles, feeling his cheeks growing strangely hot.

“George has wrangled you into advertising again, I presume?” he says, sitting up straighter in his chair, as if that will stop his blushing.

“You _presume_ correctly,” Lee says, and his teasing of Percy’s turn of phrase carries no malice. “We’ll need a whole new strategy for the Hogsmeade market.”

He opens up the first of a stack of files sitting in front of him, and Percy catches a glimpse of some colorful, clean documentation.

“I’ve got my whole presentation ready...graphs and all,” Lee says as Percy leans in for a closer look. He catches Percy’s eye and smiles all the wider. “It’s pretty, isn’t it? And he’s late. Typical.”

Percy nods as Lee puts away his graphs; he’s reluctant to move further away again.

“I heard your new program on the radio,” Percy says. “I thought it was very engaging. I didn’t know the first thing about the excavations in Sicily, and I listened to the entire hour”

“Did you?” Percy thinks Lee settles closer to him after reorganizing his files. “I appreciate that. It’s good fun, and they’re letting me stick to a really loose form. That’s my problem: I can never decide what I like talking about best.”

“Well, there’s no shortage of interesting topics, is there?”

Lee shakes his head. “There isn’t. That’s why I never shut up.”

As the laughter between them dies, Percy can sense something else filling the space: a crackling, warm, comforting sort of feeling that both he and Lee are leaning into.

And just like that, Percy stops being afraid of talking to Lee.

“You should come on the show,” Lee says after a pause. “Talk about how you start the Floo up every morning by sneaking ‘round to everyone’s houses.”

“That’s classified information, actually," Percy jokes, affecting a serious expression. "I don’t know how you found it out."

Lee laughs out loud. Percy’s cheeks feel hotter than ever.

“But really, you should come and see the set-up,” Lee says, his fingers flexing around his bottle of butterbeer. “We record above Flourish and Blotts, and it’s mad up there. You ever seen it?”

Percy speaks before his mind can catch him up with the truth.

“I haven’t, no,” he says, three seconds before his memory confirms his answer.

“Really?” Lee perks up. “I thought for sure you would have—it was Lawrence Blotts’s living quarters back in the day. He collected all these old manuscripts and maps and letters from back when Diagon Alley was starting up. I guess he had a mind to start up a museum, and then he dropped off before he could get it organized.”

“That’s fascinating,” Percy says, though in truth he’s most interested in how enthusiastic Lee is about sharing this discovery with him.

“Yeah, and it’s all still there, just like he’d never left,” Lee says. “I’ll show you around...there’s even a bar up there, if you can believe that.”

“I _did_ tell you I listened to the program, didn’t I?” Percy quips, though it never feels like his jokes land the same way Lee’s do.

Nevertheless, Lee’s eyes light up in amusement, even as he sits back in his chair and pretends to be offended.

“It was just one drink, alright?” he says. “Wait, hold on, I always forget. So one drink...that’s equal to a glass of wine, a beer, _and_ a half a glass of scotch? Or have I got something wrong? Because that was all I’d had!”

Percy ducks his head, knowing his face is now properly red from laughter. He takes a deep breath before taking an even deeper sip of butterbeer.

“I really would like to see it. Your studio,” he says, still feeling lightheaded.

“Well then, I say if he doesn’t come in the next fifteen minutes, we should just walk down there now." Lee's eyes are sparkling, and there’s no mistaking the suggestion in his tone.

Percy swallows. After all, they could meet with George any time...and it served him right, really, always showing up late...

“I agree."

Lee grins. “I thought you might.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This was loosely inspired by Taylor Swift's song "I Think He Knows," so credit to that for giving me The Vibe for the story!!


End file.
